Tubular bodies such as radium seeds



Oct. 21, 1947. F, c, wAPPLER J 2,429,438

TUBULAR BODIES SUCH AS RADIUM SEEDS Original Filed June 1, 1940 2SheetsShe e t 1 INVENTOR Freak/'12)? Charm (Viz phi AZToRNYs Oct. 211947.

F. c. WAPPLER TUBULAR BODIES SUCH AS RADIUM SEEDS Original Filed June 1,1940 I 2 Sheets-Shet 2 A ORNEY Patented Oct. 21, 1947 TUBULAR BODIESSUCH AS RADIUM SEEDS Frederick Charles Wappler, New York, N. Y.; Mary D.Wappler, executrix of said Frederick C. Wappler, deceased, assignor toAmerican Cystoscope Makers, Inc., a corporation of New York Originalapplication June 1, 1940, Serial No. 338,296. Divided and thisapplication May 11, 1943, Serial No. 486,577

My present invention relates to minute sealed tubular bodies such asthose which are commonly referred to by the medical and surgicalprofession as radium seeds.

This application is a division of my co-pending patent application,Serial No. 338,296, filed June 1, 1940 (now Patent No. 2,322,902).

Radium seeds are minute elongated bodies intended for implantation inthe human body for the purpose of producing certain beneficial eiiectsupon cancerous growths and the like. Each seed may be composed, forexample, of a small section of a gold tube having an outer diameter ofperhaps three hundredths of an inch, and an inner diameter of abouteight thousandths of an inch. The seed may be no longer than aboutone-eighth of an inch or so. It is tightly sealed at each end, and itcontains Within it a radioactive substance such as radium emanations orthe like.

These small bodies may be conveniently made by exposing the interior ofa relatively long tube to radium emanations or the like, then sealingthe ends of the tube, and subsequently severing this tube into separatesealed sections. In my aforementioned patent I have illustrated anddescribed an improved method and apparatus for treating such a tube forthe purpose of creating quantities of so-called radium seeds of thecharacter mentioned.

Because of the inherently potent and dangerous nature of radioactivematerial, each seed must have ends which are reliably sealed against anyescape of the contents. It has been found that seeds which are producedby merely pinching the tube by means of an ordinary shearing device ortool are not always reliably sealed. Moreover, such seeds are notentirely satisfactory for the additional reason that the pinchingoperation produces irregular and non-uniform ends of at-- tenuatedcharacter, so that the seeds are not of identical size and shape, andare hence 'difiicult to handle.- The ultimate implantation of such seedsinto the human body is best efiected by means of a surgical implantinginstrument, such as that shown in my Patent No. 2,269,963. For thisreason, among others, the proper handling and control of theseedsespecially in view of their minute sizemakes it highly desirablethat they be not only of uniform size and shape and of fixed uniformlength, but that they have plane blunt ends permitting them to bemaneuvered endwise in abutting relationship to each other or to aplunger or the like.

This desirable objective is achieved by means 2 Claims. (01. 128 1.2)

of the present invention, whereby the original length of tube is firstpinched in a special manner and then severed transversely through thepinched regions. The pinching is p eferably accomplished by subjectingthe tube to the action of a multi-jawed chuck or collet, the jaws beingat least three in number and being so shaped that when they are movedradially they will impart a substantially star-shaped cross-section tothe resultant pinched region. The transverse cutting through eachpinched region is preferably accomplished by means of a saw, such as arotating saw-toothed disk.

The resultant seeds are of novel and improved character, of uniformshape and size, securely sealed and easy to handle and control. Theseeds lend themselves readily to the manipulation and control of groupsof seeds arranged end to end in abutting relationship.

While I have referred herein to radium seeds, it will be understood thatsuch seeds are in a sense merely illustrative of the general types ofminute sealed tubular bodies to which my invention isapplicable. Theinvention is not restricted to bodies composed specifically of gold orany other particular material, but is applicable to any tubular materialof minute dimensions which is susceptible, like gold, to the pinchingand cutting operations alluded to. Nor is it material, so far as certainphases of the invention are concerned, that the resultant body containradium emanations, since other contents may obviously be provided for,depending upon the use to whichthe tubular bodies are to be put.

I achieve the foregoing objects and advantages in the mannerillustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view of a typical elongated tube from which radium seedsmay be made;

Figure 2 is a view of several sealed bodies produced from the left-handend portion of the tube of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a typical radium seed ortubular body of the present improved character;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a multi-jawed chuckforming part of an apparatus which may be employed in forming the seeds;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view taken substantially along the line 6-5 ofFigure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sec- Figure 9 is a viewsimilar to Figure 8 showing a' subsequent step.

Referring first to Figures 3-and-4,-the sealed body 20 is ofsubstantially cylindricalshapa-constituting a section of acapillary'tube which may be, for example, of gold or'the :like, havingan' outer diameter of approximately .03 inch and'an inner diameter ofapproximately .008 inch. The opposite end portions of the ,body 211are-pinched into closed condition so that theregion adjacent to each endhas a substantially star-shaped configuration as indicated at 2|. In theillustrated body, each region 2| has six radiating fins or ribsresulting from the squeezing action of six complementary radially-movingjaws, but'it will be understood that this particular shape is shownmerely by way of example and that any other similar star-shapedcross-section may be provided for. Of course-the fins or ribs must be atleast threein number, resulting from the squeezing action of at leastthree jaws, otherwise the end of thebody would have an undesirableattenuated wedge shape, as distinguished from the blunt end which Iaim-to produce.

The ribs project radially for a distance substantially coextensive withthe diameter of the tube, as a result of which the end surfaces of thebody '20 are substantially fiat and perpendicular to the axis of thetube. These blunt end surfaces imparta fixed length to "the body 20 andgreatly facilitate its handling and control during the process ofimplantingit, along with similar bodies, into the human body.

The squeezing action of 'the jaws, bymeans of which the star-shapedregions 2| are produced, usuallyresults in extruding the fins "slightlybeyond the external diameter of the original tube, and that is why'theends of these fins are-visible in Figure 4. These fins or ribs extendlengthwise for a distance substantially coextensive with'the length ofeach pinched end portion orregion2l.

The'sealed tubular body of Figure 3 is produced, by means of the presentinvention, from ,a relatively extended length of tubing 22 which has hadits interior exposed to radium emanations or the like, and which hasthereupon had its ends 23 and 24 pinched off or sealed in any otherconvenient manner to retain the radioactive substance in the interior ofthe tubing 22. In Figure 2, thereference numeral 25 is applied to thesealed body that is first severed from the end of the tube 22. Where thepinchings 23 and 24 are of the ordinary attenuated character, as shownin Figures 1 and.2, the body 25 is not of the character shown in Figures3 and 4. The subsequent sectionscut from the tube 22 in accordance withthe present invention are, however, of the character shown in Figure 3,and for this reason the reference numeral 20 has been applied to them inFigureZ.

The formation of these seeds is preferably accomplished by means of anapparatus such as that which is fully described and illustrated in myaforementioned Patent No. 2,322,902. It includes three blocks 21, 28,and 29 (Figure secured in superposed relationship upon a suitable table:26 by means of the attachment bolt 30 andthe aligningpins 3L The blocks21 and 28 have superposed projecting tongues '32 and 33 providednear byanyssuitable means. .shown :the outer -faces of the jaws 38 arrangedalonga conical surface 4|, and I have shown a their ends with alignedbores 34. A slit or space 35 is formed between the tongues 32 and 33.

The block 29 has a portion arranged above the tongues -32 and 33, and inthis portion there is mounted the multiejawed-chuck orcollet 36. Thischuck may be, for example, formed of a single tubular element, as shown,held in a suitable opening in the block 29 by means of the set screw 31.At-its free end, the element 36 may be longitudinallysplit to providethe complementary jaws 38, asshown most clearly in Figure 6. These jaws--are; preferablycaused to have an inherent springinesstwhichrretainsthem in spread relationship. They may be moved radially into closedposition I have illustratively collar 39 provided with a similar conicalinner surface. The collar is screw-threaded to the threaded portion 40of the block 29, whereby rotation of the collar will efiect a relativeaxial movement between it and the portion 40. The opening and closing ofthe jaws 38 is efiected by rotative movement of the collar 39, suchrotative movement being controlled in any suitable manner.

The chuck 36 is in alignment with the bores 34. Beneath these boresthere is an abutment 43, which, for a purpose presently to bedescribed,is of movable character so that it may be shifted from a positionoverlying an outlet opening 50 beneath it (as shown in the presentdrawings) to a position which uncovers the opening 5|].

The apparatus also includes a rotatable saw-or saw-toothed disk 53 whichis mounted so as to operate within the slot 35, the rotating saw beingmovable across the axis of the bores 34 between the two positions shownin Figures 7 and 8.

In forming the present seeds by means of this preferred apparatus, thejaws 38 are first adjusted to their open position,-and the saw 53 ismoved into the position shown in Figure '7. The tube 22 (Figure 1) isthen inserted downwardly through the chuck and through the upper one ofthe bores 34 (not shown in Figures 7-9) until its lower end 24 restsagainst the saw 53 as shown in Figure 7. The jaws are then adjusted intoclosed relationship, by suitable rotative movement of the collar 39,thereby tighteningthe jaws around the region of the tube 2-2 which isexposed to their action. This region, it will be observed, is spacedfrom the end of the tube, and the squeezing action of the jaws 38 servesto pinch the tube closed at this region, imparting a substantiallystar-shaped cross-section to it.

The saw 53 is then withdrawn into the position of Figure 8, and at thesame time the jaws 33, having "completed their pinching action, arereleased or opened, whereby the tube 22 drops by gravity onto theabutment 43 as shown in Figure 8. It will be observed that the tube nowhas a pinched region H which it did not have before, this pinching beingthe result of the action of the jaws 38 while the tube was held in theposition of Figure 7. It will also be observed that the parts of theapparatus are so arranged that when the tube strikes the abutment 43, asshown .in Figure 8, the pinched region "H is directly in the line ofaction of the saw-53.

The saw is then moved back into the position of Figure 7, and is therebycaused to cut transversely through the center of the pinched region H.At the same time, the jaws 38 are re-closed and the abutment 43 is movedaside. As-a result,

the end portion of the tube (designated by the reference numeral 25 inFigure 2) falls downwardly through the opening 50 into a delivery shute5| (Figure 5) which is arranged to guide the bodies that fall into it toany suitable receptacle.

When the jaws are re-opened again, the saw 53 will have been moved asideand the abutment 43 restored to its normal position as shown in Figure9. In this figure, it will be observed that a new pinched region 12 hasbeen provided, this region lying in the plane of action of the saw 53.One half of the portion H is now resting upon the abutment 43. As thesaw is caused once more to swing across the axis of the tube, it cutstransversely through the pinched region 12, and as the abutment 43 movesaside again, the first of the desired blunt-ended radium seeds 20 issevered from the tube and allowed to drop through the opening 50. Duringthis operation, the jaws 38 will have closed once more to provide asucceeding pinched region on the tube.

This procedure is then repeated again and again, and each operationserves to produce and deliver another sealed body 20.

When the opposite end of the tube 22 is reached, an oddly-shaped body,such as that shown at 25 in Figure 2, may again result, as will beunderstood. These oddly-shaped end bodies may be separately collectedand used for special implanting purposes, or they may be treated in anydesired manner for recovery of the gold tubing and of the radioactivesubstance enclosed thereby.

As a result of this general mode of procedure, each of the ends of eachsealed tubular body is not only blunt and plane but accurately sealed atboth ends and is the same as each of the other bodies, having exactlythe same length and shape.

In general, it will be understood that the details herein described andillustrated may be readily modified by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in theappended claims. For this reason, it is intended that these details beinterpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

6 1. A radium seed comprising a, section of a metallic capillary tubewith its opposite end portions pinched into closed condition, each ofsaid end portions having the tube wall pinched into 2. A radium seedadapted to be maneuvered endwise by arranging it in abutting end-to-endrelationship with other seeds of identical character, comprising asection of a metallic capillary tube containing radium emanations andhaving its opposite end portions pinched int per.- manently closedcondition to secure the contents within the seed, each of said endportions having the tube wall pinched into radially arranged ribsdefining a substantially star-shaped cross-section, said end portionshaving blunt end surfaces lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis ofthe tube, the ribs projecting radially substantially throughout thediameter of the tube at the blunt end surfaces.

FREDERICK C. WAPPLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Austria Apr. 10, 1930Number Number

